Breathing Life into Real Dolls

1.

21-year-old university student Baek Seona had a character that could not tolerate injustice.

Her name, Seona, was given by her grandfather in the hope that she would grow up to be kind (the characters meaning ‘kind’ 선善 and ‘child’ 아兒). She had lived a life so far that would not bring shame to this name.

If there was a child being ostracized in the same class, she was the first to step up and reach out. If her classmates fought with each other, she stepped in and mediated appropriately.

She kindly taught a friend who had a problem they didn’t understand until they got it, and sincerely consoled a friend who had concerns they couldn’t tell others.

She had received dozens of love confessions due to her pretty looks that were well-known even to the neighboring school. Still, she refused them all, wanting to focus on her studies.

By the time Baek Seona entered the Business Administration department of Seoul National University as valedictorian, she had become a celebrity.

She was always an excellent problem solver and proactively took on difficult tasks, setting an example for others.

She was the pride of her parents, the idol of her friends, and the inspiration to other students.

Baek Seona had never once regretted living a life as a ‘good’ child.

Of course, the more she helped others, the less time she had for her own work, and there were always people who would twist and slander her good intentions wherever she went.

However, goodwill returned as much as it was given. Baek Seona thought that she had lived receiving as much help as she had given to others.

‘We live by giving and receiving help from each other.’

Mutual aid. That was what Baek Seona thought was the essence of human society.

And now,

She was pooping on the floor.

“Sniff… sob… huck…”

While weeping pathetically and shedding tears like drops, she was pooping.

When the leaders of the G7 countries declared a zombie virus pandemic, the streets were plunged into chaos due to the sudden appearance of zombies…

She had been working part-time at a convenience store on the first floor of an officetel, covering for a friend.

Zombies had stormed into the convenience store where she worked. Reacting swiftly, she had barricaded herself inside the store’s storage room. Until this point, everything was fine.

However, contrary to her hopeful belief that help would soon arrive, neither 112 nor 119 answered her calls. The constant moaning of the zombies prowling inside the convenience store could be heard from outside the storage room.

She was trapped inside the convenience store’s storage room.

There were two silver linings, however.

Firstly, this was a convenience store storage room, meaning there was plenty of food.

She had more than enough, from snacks to all sorts of ramen, canned food, and beverages. At least she wouldn’t starve to death.

Secondly, she had managed to reach her family.

“Hey, sis! Are you okay? I’m safe. Right now, I’m with Mom and Dad at a survivor’s shelter. Over a thousand people are here, so I think we’re safe. What? You’re trapped in a convenience store storage room? Okay, got it! I’ll suggest we organize a rescue team. Even if I have to go alone, wait and don’t worry! Never attempt to come out on your own, understand?”

“Hey, you better not try to come alone! I’m fine here, there’s a lot to eat! Hey, hey! Shoot, he hung up…”

Her reliable younger brother.

She felt relieved.

All she needed to do was to hold on here, munching on snacks until the rescue team arrived. Then she could reunite with her family.

Thankfully.

That hope shattered when news about awakened individuals with special abilities broke out in the evening.

She received a text from her brother, who had been regularly contacting her.

“Sis. About a dozen people here have awakened abilities too, but something’s off about them. They keep gathering and whispering amongst themselves. It doesn’t feel right. Considering the situation, Mom, Dad, and I will try to escape. Just wait a bit longer.”

After this, her brother went silent.

No matter how many texts she sent or calls she made, there was no response.

From then on, Baek Seona started suffering from anxiety.

She incessantly trembled, biting her nails relentlessly.

Something had undoubtedly happened to her younger brother. He might be in danger.

But… there was nothing she could do.

She had lived her entire life being more virtuous and diligent than anyone else. She had built an impressive level of virtue and social standing that everyone praised.

However…

In this zombie apocalypse,

She felt helpless to the point of trembling.

Since she couldn’t do anything, she continued to gather information through news and online communities. But the more she learned, the more she saw the rampant abuses of power and violent acts perpetrated by those with abilities against ordinary people.

The more such posts she read, the more severe her anxiety became as she remembered her brother’s last text. Her mental state continued to deteriorate.

“How to awaken abilities… wish intensely, wish intensely. Wish…”

She spent the entire day chanting the word ‘wish’ like a mantra, praying that she too would awaken an ability.

But she didn’t awaken any abilities.

A day had passed since the zombie virus outbreak, and what came to her wasn’t the awakening of an ability but an urge that was difficult to hold back.

She needed to poop. But there was no toilet in the storage room.

She endured, and endured, and finally defecated on the storage room floor.

“Huuk… Huk…”

She shed tears while relieving herself and then made a decision.

To fight. Directly. At the risk of her life.

Her inability to awaken abilities must have been due to a lack of desperation. If she were to fight zombies in a life-or-death situation, she might be able to awaken. Then she could go and save her family directly.

But… what if she couldn’t awaken?

People bitten by zombies must also have hoped to repel the zombies in their critical situations. But those who could awaken were a tiny minority of chosen individuals.

What if she wasn’t chosen?

“……….”

Baek Seona consciously stopped her thoughts.

Holding a cutter knife, a convenience store staple, in her hand, her face was marked by the grim determination characteristic of someone making their final resolution.

2.

Ding- It was the first floor.

As soon as we arrived on the first floor by elevator, a group of zombies that were crammed into the apartment lobby greeted us.

At a glance, there seemed to be over 20 zombies.

“Serena, don’t let your guard down just because the zombies are weak.”

“Yes!”

So far, all the zombies we’d encountered were weak. With our increased abilities, Serena and I had nothing to fear, even if a hundred zombies charged at us. All we had to do was to beat them up.

However, it was a cliché in zombie narratives for the heroes to be attacked by special entities mixed among the weak zombies when they let their guard down.

You should never be careless, regardless of the situation. This wasn’t a game. A moment’s carelessness could lead to death.

“Eeyaahp-!”

Whoom— Bang!

There was no hesitation in my determined bat swing. With a full swing from a thrilling range that capitalized on the bat’s advantage, the zombies’ heads burst like watermelons.

And outperforming me was Serena.

“…….”

Serena silently, quietly, and assuredly swung her frying pan. With each swing, two or three zombies burst open.

Serena’s figure running amok among the zombies was like a lion on the Serengeti plains. And the zombies were a herd of weak gazelles.

It didn’t take long to clear out the dozens of zombies that filled the lobby.

“Whew… Good job, Serena.”

“It’s nothing, Master.”

Even as I let out a sigh and relaxed, Serena remained on alert.

I hadn’t realized when we were in the room together, but Serena was more of a sturdy warrior type than I thought.

Anyway, we had made it to the first floor, so it was time to raid the convenience store as planned.

And the moment I turned my head toward the convenience store, a woman’s voice burst out from inside.

“Dieeeeeeeeeeeeee———!!”

It was a scream that also sounded like a cry for help. It was clear that something urgent was happening.

“Serena!”

“Yes!”

I quickly ran and forcefully kicked open the convenience store door.

I quickly scanned the interior.

Two visible zombies and a woman screaming, fighting 2:1 with a small cutter knife in her hand.

Furthermore, there was one zombie lying on the floor with a loose neck. Judging by its condition, she had just killed it. She managed to take it down with that cutter knife.

A normal person without any special abilities, but a woman who was good at fighting. It took me about 0.2 seconds to make this assessment.

“I’ll help you!”

Swish! Bang!

Given the urgency of the situation, I struck the zombie’s throat with a quick jab instead of a full swing.

That alone was powerful enough. The zombie didn’t die immediately, but it fell lifelessly.

The remaining zombie was baring its teeth threateningly, ready to bite the woman any moment.

I quickly shoved my bat into its mouth.

Bang-!

The bat neatly entered its mouth as the zombie’s upper and lower front teeth were completely pulled out. I pressed it to the ground, piercing the back of the zombie’s neck.

Twang-!

Behind me, Serena was performing a coup de grâce on the zombie I had knocked down.

With that, all the visible zombies were killed. The remaining threat was the possibility of zombies in the convenience store’s storeroom.

I quickly confirmed this.

“Are these all the zombies?”

“Huh?”

“Are there no more zombies in the storeroom?”

“Ah yes, yes. I was in the storeroom and came out. The ones you just killed are all of them.”

The woman answered with a startled expression.

“Phew. That’s a relief. The timing was good. My name is Kim Doha.”

“Ah… I am Baek, Seona…”

Sniff, sob.

The woman suddenly began to cry pitifully.

She seemed like someone who had a story to tell.

Well, given the state of the world, everyone probably had a story or two.

“Thank you, thank you… for saving me…!!”

“It’s okay. Pull yourself together and stay strong.”

I patted the woman’s shoulder and looked around.

Inside the convenience store, all the items were neatly placed as if no one had rummaged through them.

What a relief. If this was the case, more supplies would likely be stocked up in the storeroom.

I decided to check the convenience store inventory until the woman calmed down and could converse.

And when I approached the open storeroom door…

“Ah, no—!!”

“Huh?”

The woman suddenly shrieked.

“If, if you go into the storeroom now… you can’t.”

“Huh? Why?

“You’re not planning on hoarding all this food for yourself, are you…?”

“Ah, no! I wouldn’t dream of being so shameless to the person who saved my life…!!”

“Then why?”

The woman’s face turned pale. She looked as if she was afraid of being caught doing something.

“Ah… anyway, you can’t!”